Smart Meetings

It’s got one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, Chichen Itza, in its heartland; the world’s second-largest barrier reef, the Great Mayan Reef, offshore; and Mexico’s most popular visitor destination, Cancun, on its sparkling Caribbean coast.

With gracious colonial henequen-plantations-turned inns, limestone cenotes (underground river caverns where you can swim and dive into history), and Mayan ruins emerging from thick tangles of forests, Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula offers planners a destination with a wealth of riches, settings and activities, not to mention an increasingly sophisticated infrastructure. So whether your clients are archaeologists, scuba divers or eco-travelers, have a passion for history, culture or gastronomy, or simply seek the ultimate in spas, golf and hotels of distinction, the Yucatan exerts a powerful lure.

The 43,600-square-mile peninsula, which includes parts of Belize and Guatemala, comprises three Mexican states: Campeche, with its walled capital city of the same name; Yucatan, whose capital, Merida, is known as the White City for its beautiful palaces and 19th-century mansions; and historic Quintana Roo, on the peninsula’s eastern shore. This is the Mexican Caribbean, where fabled resorts extend from Cancun south to the Riviera Maya, one of the fastest-growing visitor destinations of the decade, and include the offshore islands of Isla Mujeres and Cozumel.

The choices for events of every size and shape are nearly unlimited, with venues ranging from ancient sites like Xel-Ha, a natural aquarium, to the huge state-of-the-art Cancun Convention Center. Four- and five-star hotels representing most of the major brands sport facilities with high-tech meeting rooms and large beachside patios and pavilions, while small gatherings can be set up bordering mangrove-lined waterways and on breathtaking hideaway beaches.

World-class golf courses, designed by the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones, Jr., Isao Aoki and Robert Von Hagge, will number 15 by the end of 2008. Mexico’s first Greg Norman championship course hosted the Mayan Classic, the country’s inaugural PGA event, last February.

Pre- and post-options for clients attending meetings are as near as a spa retreat and as distant as sites like Uxmal or Chichen Itza, where Mayan culture reached its zenith. The recent recognition of Chichen Itza will generate added interest in this site, some two to three hours away, where Mayan concepts of astronomy and philosophy have been magnificently immortalized in stone.

Resorts up and down the Caribbean coast are integrating Mayan concepts of health and wellness into their restaurant menus, spa treatments and excursions through jungle, rainforest and coastline. Some DMCs sponsor innovative projects that link visitors to indigenous communities in ways that benefit all participants.

The region’s excellent airlift has been further enhanced with the opening of a third terminal at the Cancun International Airport, while smaller international airports in Cozumel, Chetumal and Merida augment service to the Yucatan, Mexico’s most visited region. 

 

CANCUN

Situated on the northeastern tip of the Yucatan, bathed by the turquoise Caribbean and the tranquil Nichupte Lagoon, Cancun’s 16-mile stretch of white-sand beaches is the setting for an infrastructure that got a serious facelift after Hurricane Wilma in 2005. It’s also the setting for the biggest visitor draw in Mexico and the Caribbean, as well as Mexico’s premier beach destination for meetings, groups and conventions, a market of growing importance.

“We’ve had focus groups with meeting professionals to ascertain and address the concerns of those that haven’t yet worked with our destination,” says Fernando Cervantes, director of groups and conventions for the Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Out of those discussions, we’re making a push to dispel any misconceptions, and emphasize that our Cancun bureau works as seamlessly as a U.S.-based CVB. We facilitate everything from setting up press conferences, assisting with promotional materials and arranging simultaneous translations, to recommending the support of customs brokers, to make the shipping of materials to Cancun hassle-free.” 

Cervantes says the old perception of Cancun as a spring-break destination is no longer relevant, as the 90,000 students who once came on vacation have now diminished to barely 9,000, a fraction of a percent of Cancun’s overall tourism. One reason is that, following the destructive impact of Hurricane Wilma, Cancun was reborn as a more upscale resort, as hotels took the opportunity to pour significant investment into upgrades rather than simply make repairs. 

Eight new and recently reopened hotels in 2007 include Avalon Grand Cancun, Cancun Palace Resort, Elan Resort and Spa, Great Parnassus Resort & Spa, Hyatt Regency Cancun, ME by Melia, the ROYAL in Cancun and Sun Palace Resort. To planners, this translates to an additional 2,632 new and upscale hotel rooms, bringing the grand total of rooms in Cancun to more than 28,000.

As the city continues ongoing efforts to strengthen its positioning as the Mayan Gold Coast for both leisure travelers and meetings attendees, it has become a state-of-the-art meetings destination. For example, following a US$20-million renovation and expansion last year, the Hyatt Cancun Caribe Resort opened its new Laguna Conference Centre, a venue with more than 7,650 sq. ft. of space, hosting up to 1,100 participants. Additionally, the hotel, honored for the 21st consecutive year with AAA’s Four-Diamond award for 2008, offers functional poolside meeting spaces, themed group dinners and more than 215,000 sq. ft. of beach.

The Cancun Center, in the heart of the Hotel Zone, is within walking distance of more than 4,000 hotel rooms. The 154,000-square-foot center has 13 meeting rooms that can be divided into 37 breakout rooms, yielding 75,350 sq. ft. of meeting space. Plus, the center offers 78,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space, spanning two levels.

“With over 700,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, a convention center that can accommodate 8,000 simultaneous attendees, and a hotel inventory topping 28,000 hotel rooms, the meetings market has become a key focus,” says Cervantes, noting a 10 percent increase over the first three quarters of 2007 in the meetings trade.

“We have an infrastructure second to none,” he continues, “with 80 percent of our hotels in the five-star category, with rates as competitive as $150–$250/night, depending on the season. Of course, our DMCs, which have been working closely with the U.S. meetings market over the years, provide punctual, professional and effective English-language services with a special Mexican warmth.”

With the No. 1 airport for international arrivals in Mexico, Cancun is tremendously accessible, within 2.5 flight hours of many major U.S. cities. This is even more so with the recent upgrade at the airport to accommodate the 170 direct or connecting flights that arrive there daily, as well as future increases in flight services. 

The Cancun CVB introduced a discount card earlier this year to recognize the importance of meeting and convention travelers, who bring in more than US$51 million to the destination each year.

“On average, visitors with groups and conventions stay four days and three nights in our destination and spend 925 U.S. dollars per person, as compared to leisure visitors, who spend on average 688 U.S. dollars,” says Arturo Escaip Manzur, general director of the CVB. The cards provide significant savings at more than 140 participating restaurants, retailers, golf courses and other travel-related companies within Cancun and nearby Puerto Morelos.  

In addition to the new discount cards, Cancun will continue to offer its tax-free incentive for meetings, exempting events from the usual 10 percent tax on beverages, meals, accommodations, entertainment and event services for the entire event, plus up to two nights before and after the event.            

 

RIVIERA MAYA

The soft openings this month of both a Rosewood and a Mandarin Oriental hotel are a clear indication of both the pace and the direction of development along the Riviera Maya, a remarkable region that stretches south along the sparkling Caribbean coastline for 80 miles from Puerto Morelos, just 15 minutes south of Cancun International Airport, to the town of Felipe Carillo Puerto, gateway to small Mayan communities and to Sian Ka’an, Mexico’s first Biosphere Reserve.

Along the way are tranquil seaside villages like Akumal and Puerto Aventuras, and tranquil-by-day but sizzling-by-night Playa del Carmen, a small-village-turned-sophisticated-visitor heart of the Riviera Maya. Playa, as it’s called, even has a Fifth Avenue, but this Quinta Avenida is car-free, and lined with trendy boutiques and beach bars open into the wee hours. Meeting planners say Fifth Avenue is always a hit for dine-around events. Playa is also the point of departure for the 40-minute ferry trip to the island of Cozumel.

The towns and villages of the Riviera Maya, and the many new developments sprouting throughout the region, offer lodgings from rustic bungalows on the beach and value-priced all-inclusives to brand-new world-class resorts literally carved out of the jungle. More than 24,000 rooms along the Riviera Maya offer access to the peninsula’s legendary diversity: its network of underground rivers with over 100 cenotes; eco-parks like Xcaret and Xel-Ha, with dazzling natural features; the extensive 1.5-million-acre ecological reserve of Sian Ka’an; archeological sites like Tulum, the only Mayan citadel built by the sea; and Coba, whose extensive Mayan ruins emerge from the jungle, fishing villages and powdery beaches of great beauty. Zipline tours, mountain biking, snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing and kayaking offer adventure up and down the peninsula, while top-of-the-line golf courses and spas smooth out any rough edges.

The destination saw a 7.7 percent increase in visitor arrivals for the first half of 2007, welcoming more than a million-and-a-half visitors. Room inventory is up 9 percent for the same period.

“We remain on track to meet our goal of welcoming three million tourists in 2007,” says Javier Aranda Pedrero, director of the Riviera Maya Tourism Board.

At a recent press conference in New York, Aranda Pedrero outlined a timeline of new developments and projects targeted for what he calls “Mexico’s Vanguard Destination.” He characterized the Riviera Maya as Mexico’s fastest growing tourism destination and a leader in sustainable tourism and development. Also, he said, it offers the greatest diversity of product and programs, and is just a nonstop flight away from key U.S. gateways.

Mayakoba is a master-planned development designed around a series of crystal-clear waterways that will link five luxury properties. The development has already caused a sensation with the opening in April 2006 of the 401-room Fairmont Mayakoba, which won AAA’s Five-Diamond award in its first year of operation. 

“Fairmont Mayakoba provides a distinctive background for events our clients plan,” shares Mayra Macaraig, director of sales and marketing. “The resort has been designed to harmonize with its surroundings, respecting the preservation of the mangrove forest and abundant wildlife, which add a unique element to the experience of the group.  This extends into off-site activities as well, such as a tour of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere through our partnership with the UN’s World Heritage Alliance. Our colleagues’ warm and professional service ensure high satisfaction in coordinating and executing memorable programs.”

Mexico’s first Greg Norman championship golf course, the 18-hole El Camaleon, has drawn the attention of the golf world to Mayakoba with the hosting of the Mayan Classic, Mexico’s first PGA event last February. Mayakoba, a 1,600-acre luxury resort enclave, lies 40 miles south of the Cancun International Airport and 10 minutes from Playa del Carmen.

This month the Rosewood Mayakoba opens, a vision of chic simplicity with its use of indigenous materials such as Yucatan limestone and renewable woods. The spa, on a private island, surrounds a cenote, a natural limestone pool fed by subterranean springs.         

Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya, just down the road from Mayakoba, is also celebrating its opening this month. Alan Love, director of sales and marketing, says the new luxury hotel provides an ideal setting for small incentive groups and corporate retreats. “Our variety of indoor and outdoor venues includes rooftop mangrove-view terraces, unique art patio courtyards and landscaped gardens, not to mention our stunning beachfront locales and flexible indoor meeting rooms.” The holistic mindset of the spa is an integral part of the resort’s meetings and incentive offerings, he continues, noting the special group spa menus and tailor-made classes and programs.

More to come at Mayakoba will include Banyan Tree, with 133 villas and outdoor garden spas, famous for their Asian-inspired treatments. Viceroy Resorts & Residences will offer 164 units built along lagoons or on the beach, with private plunge pools and decks in every unit, plus a luxury spa. 

Quintana Roo Kanay will be another project of high ecological and environmental value, according to Aranda Pedrero. Featuring 847 rooms, two 18-hole golf courses and residential allotments, the development has earned the status of model project because only 10 percent of the oceanfront land will be developed, with the remaining reserved for conservation.

Rooms are slated to open during the second quarter of 2009 in the three leading hotels, the two golf courses in 2010 and 2011.

There is much more development to come, but, for now, the Riviera Maya works in complementary ways with Cancun. The synergy of the two destinations is vibrant and essential, as the Riviera Maya provides idyllic locations for eco-adventures and excursions, as well as unique event venues for Cancun-based meetings and conventions. The region also is ideal for pre- and post-meeting R&R options for those attending large meetings in Cancun. At the same time, the area offers intimate luxe resorts for small incentive groups, board of directors meetings and executive retreats.

 

COZUMEL   

Known to the ancients as Ah-Cuzamil or “Island of the Shallows,” Cozumel was a sacred shrine to which Mayans would sail from the mainland to worship Ix-Chel, goddess of fertility. Today visitors take the ferry from the Riviera Maya’s Playa del Carmen or Puerto Morelos to visit Mexico’s largest inhabited island, 11 miles off the Yucatan coast. 

Snorkelers and scuba divers worldwide come to explore the Great Mayan Reef, with water visibility to 200 feet. The world’s second-largest reef system extends from Isla Mujeres to Costa Rica.

The island has also been a favorite Caribbean port-of-call for cruise ships since the 1950s, while its international airport receives direct flights from Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Newark and Miami.

With a population just over 75,000, Cozumel welcomes more than two-and-a-half million visitors each year, and this includes an increasing number of groups and meetings. In October, Cozumel hosted the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association’s 14th Annual FCCA Caribbean Cruise Conference and Trade Show.

Presidente InterContinental Cozumel Resort & Spa, which reopened last year as Cozumel’s first five-star resort following a $25-million dollar renovation, opened a luxury Mandara Spa that incorporates traditional healing into its treatment menu.

The 181-room Hotel Cozumel & Resort introduced a new convention center last year that can accommodate up to 600 people (theater style), with nearly 5,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space with breakout rooms. Park Royal Cozumel reopened in November 2006 after a complete remodeling that triples its room count to 328 and includes an open-air theater equipped with state-of-the-art light and sound systems and brand-new meetings and convention space. The property’s meeting space can accommodate up to 350 people.

Discover Mexico, Cozumel’s newest attraction, is a cultural theme park showcasing Mexico’s pre-Hispanic, colonial and modern cultures, including archaeological sites and colonial buildings. A museum presents award-winning videos and documentaries to enhance temporary and permanent exhibits.

 

ISLA MUJERES

This laid-back island, whose name translates as Island of Women,  draws day-trippers from Cancun and Riviera Maya and get-away-from-it-all visitors who book longer stays. They come for the diving, birding and beaches. They rent bikes to explore the five-mile-long, 1.2-mile-wide island, survey its archaeological sites, book a boat trip from the fishing cooperative or book a tour to the nearby island of Contoy, a refuge for more than 90 bird species. Dolphin Discovery offers interactive encounters on the southern part of the island.

Among the island’s inventory of 1,200 rooms, Hotels of Isla Mujeres is a collection of seven privately owned beach hotels, each with a distinctive sense of place and meeting facilities and venues. The island also offers a full-facility convention center with 18,000 sq. ft. and capacity for 1,000 participants.

The Mexican Caribbean coastline of the Yucatan Peninsula is so ideally suited to meetings of any size that it almost sells itself. Along with glorious weather, powdery white beaches and sparkling seas, the infrastructure is state-of-the-art, the inventory of accommodations increasingly sumptuous and the menu of excursions ever more innovative. Expanding airlift and professionalized services translate to ever-more-seamless meetings in this neighboring Mexican destination.   

Carol Canter has been writing about Mexico for both national and international publications since her first trip in 1967. She writes with passion about the people and their history, culture, art and architecture, music and food, and returns as often as she can.

 

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Getting There

• Cancun International Airport (CUN) is Mexico’s second-busiest airport after Mexico City, with 21 airlines arriving and departing on domestic and international flights. The airport is located approximately 12 miles from the city and the Hotel Zone, and 11 miles from the start of the Riviera Maya.

• Cozumel International Airport (CZM), two miles north of San Miguel, has daily domestic and international flights, including direct service from Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Newark and Miami.

• Merida-Licenciado Manuel Cresencio Rejon International Airport (MID), five miles west of the city, has direct domestic service to other Mexican cities as well as direct flights to Los Angeles and Miami on Mexicana Airlines. The airport served more than one million passengers in 2006.

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Not To Be Missed

• A visit to at least one of the Mayan archaeological sites: Tulum for its proximity and its setting by the sea, Coba for its silent jungle stillness, Uxmal for the perfection of the carvings, Chichen Itza for the scope and brilliance of its ancient builders.

 • A swim in a cenote, an underwater cave.

 • Snorkeling or scuba diving along the world’s second-largest barrier reef.

 • A visit to one of the main ecological parks: Xcaret, Xel-Ha and Tres Rios, or the Sian Ka’an Reserve.

 • A traditional Mayan-themed spa treatment.

 • A taste of authentic Yucatecan cuisine.

 • A ferry trip to an island like Cozumel or Isla Mujeres.

 • A visit to a beautiful colonial city like Merida or Campeche.

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What's New?

Additional Properties |

Playa Hotel & Resorts announced the acquisition this month of several new properties, loca...

Meet in Mexico | Azul Hotels by Karisma has just announced the opening of a new property in Playa del Carmen, on t...

Meet in Mexico | Last week marked the completion of the $50-million expansion of Hotel Marina El Cid Spa & Bea...

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